Communicating with and locating a wireless device, by a third party, are both known in prior art, but it is non-trivial and not obvious to be able to do both at the same time.
Law enforcement officials may wish to locate a particular wireless device, without alerting the user that his device is under surveillance. In prior art methods of locating a device, communication to and from the device is blocked during the “homing in” time period in which law enforcement is attempting to locate the device. Even if the “homing in” process is covert and the user of the mobile device is not alerted by changes to the wireless display, that the third party process is underway, in all cases, communication is interrupted during this period. A user is unable to make or receive phone calls, messages, etc. and may note a momentary interruption in service. Should this interruption be lengthy, a criminal user may become suspicious and discard the mobile device, foiling the law enforcement attempt to locate the user.
Another example for use of the present invention, is in a search and rescue operation, after for instance an earthquake, where rescuers were able to initially communicate with a person trapped under rubble. Using the proposed method, the trapped person's location can be pin-pointed, aiding in the rescue efforts.
Thus, it would be advantageous to enable continuous, simultaneous covert location of a wireless device without interrupting communication with the device.